Matters of the Heart
by Mists
Summary: This story takes place between episode 380 and 381 of the anime. Minato and Naruto have more time to speak in Kurama's mind. They talk about many things, but Naruto's mind keeps focusing on the similarities between his father and a certain girl he knows... Rated "T" for a little swearing. Minato/Kushina and Naruto/Hinata


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto. If I did, we would have gotten a lot more NaruHina a whole heck of lot earlier! Anyway, this story is for all the fans out there waiting on baited breath for "Naruto the Last" to come out. And for the love of god guys, if you must make anymore filler for the anime give us more NaruHina lead up! _PLEASE! _ The movie grossing a zillion dollars already should prove that we want that!

Anyway, this story takes place between 380 / 381 of the anime. Naruto and his dad fist bump, and have more time to speak than they did in the anime. So it's a heartfelt father / son moment with a dash of NaruHina fluff! Enjoy!

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><p><strong>~Matters of the Heart~<strong>

**~By: Mists~**

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><p>"And if we connect the chakra together, I think it should work, Tou-chan," concluded Naruto with an air of hope in his breath.<p>

Minato smiled proudly at his son. "Hai, Naruto. I believe you are right."

Tears then gathered in Minato's glowing eyes. "There are so many things I wish to say to you, my son. If only we had more tim-"

Kurama snorted at this. "Baka, we're on a mental plane. Time moves slower in here than the real world. You and your son deserve this moment, Minato. We will let you know when you must return."

"Hai," agreed the dark-kyuubi with a grin. "Picture yourselves in a peaceful place, and you'll be there in an instant. We'll keep watch."

"I-" replied Minato in shock, he would have never guessed the Kyuubi contained enough compassion to do something like this.

"It... is the least I can give you and your son, Minato," said Kurama with a painful sigh. "...And for what it is worth, I am sorry."

And with that, Minato found he and his son standing on the Hokage monument overlooking the village.

"Kurama..." whispered Naruto in awe as a tear silently slid down his face, "Arigato."

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><p>The two then walked over to a tree with a small patch of grass a few feet away.<p>

"So... Naruto," said Minato as he sat down in the shade of the leaves. "I- there are so many things I wish to ask you, I don't know where to even start."

Naruto just laughed and plopped himself next to his father. "I know! The other times we met were all so fast! But, well, why don't we start with the same question I asked kaa-chan when I saw her!" he exclaimed with excitement.

"Oh?" asked Minato with a small grin. "And what question was that?"

"How did you and kaa-chan fall in love?" asked Naruto with a sparkle in his eye. "I got kaa-chan's side of the story, but I was kinda curious about yours!"

"N-Naruto! W-Why do you want to s-start out with _that?!_" he stuttered out self-consciously, trying to avoid eye contact with his son.

Naruto laughed at the normally cool and collected Hokage's reaction,"Tou-chan! You're even more flustered than kaa-chan was! I asked because, I really learned a lot from her answer."

This just made poor Minato more embarrassed to the point his face became red as a tomato. "Good, I'm glad the seal released her chakra like it was supposed to."

"Huh.." said Naruto, thoughtfully as he began to calm down. "That's odd," he said pointing at his father's face, "my one friend does that a lot, too..."

This caught Minato's attention, making him turn slowly back to face his son."Oh? Really, who?"

"Oh, her name is Hinata! She's a _Hyūga_, but she's not a pretentious prick like most of them. She's really something, Tou-chan!" exclaimed Naruto excitedly as he got to speak to his father about one of his precious friends.

"A _Hyūga_, huh?" _"I believe I saw a female ___Hyūga flash____in my mind before Naruto unleashed the Kyuubi upon Pein,___" _thought Minato curiously as he asked aloud, "But, you said that pink-haired girl was your girlfriend, right?"

This time it was Naruto's turn to blush. "I-! Well I mean, yeah! I mean Sakura is a girl, and she's my friend... and Hinata-chan is too! But... I don't know tou-chan, " he concluded with a sigh.

Naurto then looked down and away from his father's eyes. "When I was younger, I thought I was in love with Sakura. And I do still care a lot about her.. but..." Naruto then trailed off uncertainly.

Minato reached out and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. He gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry son," he whispered gently, "you can tell me anything. I'm here now, please allow me help."

Tears filled Naruto's eyes as he looked up at his father and then quickly dove into his chest crying.

"Oh, Tou-chan!" he exclaimed emotionally, "I thought I was over her. B-But then... kaa-chan said to find a girl like her! A-And Sakura's the only girl I know that's like her! She's strong, fiery, and independent. But... she doesn't love me like that. She never has. And lately, I-I've come to realize that I don't love her like that either."

"Naruto... my dear son, your mother did mean it like _that_," replied Minato, sorrowfully. He then reached out and wrapped his arms tenderly around his child. "You don't have to find a girl with her _exact_ personality to be happy. You aren't letting her down. "

"I-I'm not? You're sure?" Naruto asked hesitantly, "Because, I think I love Sakura like a sister, Tou-chan. And I'm pretty sure she loves me like that, too."

Minato let a light smile grace his lips as he pulled back to look his son in the eye. "That's wonderful son. I'm so glad you found someone that you think of as a sibling. We had so wanted to give you one."

Naruto briskly brushed away the tears from his eyes as he replied, "Oh, Tou-chan. Please don't apologize for that. None of it was your fault."

"_I know,"_ thought Minato sadly as he watched his child, _"But that doesn't mean I won't always regret it."_

"Anyway," said Minato aloud, trying to change the subject, "I believe what your mother was _trying_ to say; is that you should find someone who shares your _heart._"

"Shares... my heart?" asked Naruto uncertainly.

Minato nodded. "Hai, your mother would want to to find a girl that loves you, just the way you are. A woman that follows and believes in the same ideals that you do-"

"_The same ideals, like the same __Nindō__?"_ thought Naruto as a flash of memory burst through his mind.

_***Flash* **__Hinata's hand on his cheek. "So stand with me, Naruto-kun. Because never going back on one's word... is my Ninja Way, too!"_

Minato continued on, "Your mother took whatever life threw at her and didn't let it change the core of who she was. Find someone that embodies kindness-"

_***Flash* **__Hinata helping a young, crying child._

"-compassion-"

_***Flash* **__Hinata passing out food to the homeless civilians after the Pein attack._

"-and strength."

_***Flash* **__Hinata leaping into battle against Pein to protect him."I won't let you hurt Naruto anymore!"_

Naruto's breath caught in his throat in shock as he stared at his father.

"And maybe, because you are so much like your mother," said Minato teasingly with a gentle smile, "you should try to find someone that's like _me_."

"_**You**__, _Tou-chan_?_" asked Naruto in surprise.

"Hai," Minato answered with a nod. "I was an orphan, Naruto. I grew up in the Konoha Orphanage. I... was a very quiet child. I felt it was best not to cause trouble, and often times I would simply fade into the background. I was forgotten and overlooked by most."

_***Flash* **__Hinata sitting quietly in their academy class._

Naruto just stared at his father and listened intently to his story.

"When I was noticed, I was teased and bullied as a child. And I receded deeper into myself... Until one day I realized, I was not the only one who was treated that way. Those bullies could do all they wanted to _me_, but I simply couldn't standby and allow them to do so to others."

Minato paused here and looked at Naruto with a fierceness he had never seen.

"And so I trained," continued Minato with a determined air, "I trained for all I was worth; I would protect the other children in the orphanage. I would become strong for their sakes. And by doing so, I slowly began to change myself... but I was still quite shy even though the attention I was starting to receive was welcoming."

"But... Tou-chan," interrupted Naruto hesitantly, "I was always told that you were a prodigy when it came to fighting and creating jutsu."

This caused Minato to let out a light, gentle laugh. He then replied, "Oh, dear no, Naruto. I worked _very_ hard and _very_ long on everything I developed, especially my jutsu. I only showed my techniques to others when I had most of them mastered. But trust me, the majority of my ideas blew up in my face, _literally!_"

Naruto grinned softly at hearing his father's laugh. It was pleasant and melodic like a bird's song. Once again, he was vaguely reminded of someone.

And so Minato took up his story once again, "One day, the Third saw me defend some of my friends from a group of bullies. Afterward, he pulled me aside and asked if I had ever thought about becoming a ninja."

"In truth, I had never really thought about it before," Minato said with surprise. "Then the Third explained to me what a ninja did and who he was as the Hokage. And for the first time in my life, I had a true goal. I would do everything in my power to get stronger; to make friends and protect them; to become Hokage and be of value to the people I loved in the village."

Naruto smiled fondly at having something in common with his amazing father.

"And then I joined the Ninja Academy, where I met your _mother_, " said Minato with an air of wonderment, "She came into my life like a whirlwind of fire. I had never met anyone more lively and spirited than her; it was part of her very _being_. But nothing fit her better, than her fiery red hair. It was always so wild, and moved with the same energy she did. Your mother was an absolute force of nature. She didn't know it, but from the second I met her, she drove and inspired me. She was _everything_ to me... and I was positively _terrified _of her."

"What!" exclaimed Naruto in shock, "You were you terrified of Kaa-chan?! Why?"

Minato raised an eyebrow at his son. "Naruto, you met your mother just a little while ago, you tell me."

This made Naruto sweatdrop and scratch the back of his head nervously. "Yeah, the Red-Hot Habanero sounded pretty scary to me, too!"

This made his father laugh again. "Hai, that was part of the reason. The other was that I found her intimidating."

Naruto just looked at his father questioningly.

"I... knew how she felt about me back then," confessed Minato sadly, "that I was timid, weird, and... a little effeminate."

_***Flash***__ "I always thought you were negative, hesitant, and weird. But I kind of like people like you."_

"Tou-chan..." replied Naruto in remorse for the harsh words he had spoken to his friend as well.

"But her perception of me only drove me harder to change myself. To become stronger, more outgoing, so that she would come to see me as a person of worth," said Minato with a nod of his head. "I'd watch her from afar, and quickly turn away when she caught me watching. As each day passed, my heart became more and more enamored with her. And then before I even knew it... my crush on her... turned suddenly into love."

At this Minato blushed again and nervously played with his hands.

_***Flash***__ Hinata staring at him, then quickly looking away to play with her fingers._

Naruto's eyes went wide.

"I never fought her battles for her either. I knew how strong she was, and I always thought she'd be angry if I interfered. But then, _they came_, and took her away from me," said Minato darkly as a hard, unforgiving look entered his eyes.

Naruto just continued to watch his father.

"I was desperately trying to work up the courage to tell her how I felt; when I went to check on her house one night, I found it completely torn apart. The entire place was ransacked and several of Kushina's guards were dead. She was gone."

Minato then clasped his hands tightly together and focused on them with a tight fury.

"I had two choices: go to the Third and request help or go after her myself. I chose to go after her myself."

"I... t-tou-chan, but you where only a genin then, Dattebayo! They could have easily killed you!"

"Hai," whispered Minato as he turned to face his son again, "I know. It was... incredibly selfish, and foolish of me. I knew very well that we might both be killed, but I did not care. I just... _knew_ if I didn't act at that very moment, I would never see her again. I had to try. Even at the cost of my own life, I had to _**try.**_"

_***Flash* **__Hinata standing unwaveringly between him and Pein."Because Naruto-kun, I love you."_

Naruto nearly choked at the realization.

"I followed the trail she left of her beautiful hair, and once again it became my beacon of hope. I fought them methodically and with everything I had... and as they say, the rest is history," ended Minato with a slight shrug.

"So... Naruto, does that sound like anyone you know?" asked Minato with a small grin on his face.

Naruto gulped and replied in awe, "If I'm like kaa-chan, then that would make you like..."

"**Hinata,"**was Naruto's one and only answer.

"_**SHIT!"**_ Naruto exclaimed as he shot upright and started grabbing at his hair. "SHIT! How didn't I SEE IT?! All this time! All this time! H-How could I, tou-chan! I mean I started to wonder if I felt something for her after the fight with Pein, b-but I was just so scared! And I've realized _something_ is there, I just don't know what **it** is! W-What if I ruined our friendship or she realized that she really didn't love me or worse she came to hate me! I-I oh, tou-chan what do I, _**do?!**_ She told me loved me and I never gave her an answer! I just didn't know what to say! I-I still don't, heck I haven't a clue how I really feel about her!"

Minato just laughed as he stood up and grabbed Naruto by the shoulders. "Oh, Naruto, you truly are your mother's son."

"_That poor, poor girl," _thought Minato with pity, remembering how long it took Kushina to finally admit that she liked him back.

"TOU-CHAN! THAT ISN'T HELPING!" cried Naruto indignantly as he quickly beat his fists against his father's chest trying fanatically to push him away.

This action just made Minato laugh all the harder. After Naruto finally calmed down, Minato said soothingly, "Look son, don't rush it. Take your time, and once you know for sure, you tell her as soon as you can. Because if she really loves you, she'll wait. No matter how long it takes."

Naruto just sighed and replied, "Hai," as his chaotic thoughts about Hinata still spun around in his head.

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><p>And so, Naruto and Minato turned their precious conversation on to other things, like how they both adored ramen.<p>

"**Finally!** Someone who _understands, _Dattebayo!" exclaimed Naruto joyously.

They spoke about Minato's love of cooking. "I know it doesn't sound like a very_ manly_ hobby. But I just love making something with my own two hands and sharing with the people I love," explained Minato as once again Naruto was reminded of Hinata and the treats she would often make for her friends.

This in turn led to Naruto to reveal his love of gardening. "I don't know tou-chan, there's just something amazingly satisfying about planting something, nurturing it, and then watching it grow," said Naruto with a longing sigh. This made Minato smile, thinking of what a wonderful father his son would be one day.

They spoke of Naruto's friends and how they had each become precious to him. Minato asked if Guy and Kakashi still had their rivalry battles. Naruto told his father of how Hinata had saved him on the battlefield when he had been devastated by Neji's death. Minato then told Naruto of how he once fought Bee and Naruto then related to him the story of their epic rap battles. Minato recounted the time someone had called Kushina crude, boorish, and overly masculine to his face, and of his rather_ unrestrained _ response. While Naruto then reminisced about his team's relentless quest to find out what Kakashi was _really_ hiding under his mask. And lastly, they both shared tales of their very perverted misadventures with Jiraiya-sensei, or more like what they got dragged into _by _Jiraiya-sensei.

And finally, the time had come. Kurama gave them both a mental warning and then left them to say their goodbyes.

"Well, I guess it's back to the field of battle. Eh, tou-chan?" asked Naurto as he began to stretch out his limbs.

"Hai," replied Minato as he stared lovingly at his son, "I will do everything in my power to not fail you again."

Naruto froze mid-stretch and whirled on his father.

"Tou-chan!" he exclaimed, clearly appalled. "You never _failed_ me! You gave your life so I could live. And I swear, I will do everything in my power not to waste that most precious gift! Dattebayo!"

Minato's eyes filled with tears as he reached out and pulled his son into a loving embrace.

"I love you so very much, my truly precious child," whispered Minato as long held back tears cascaded gently down his cheeks.

"Hai," croaked Naruto hoarsely as he also fought back tears. "I love you, too!"

After a few moments the two reluctantly pulled away and looked each other in the eye.

"Ready to teleport everyone out of the barrier and kick Obito and Madara's asses?" asked Naruto with great enthusiasm.

"Hai!"exclaimed Minato as he and Naruto fist bumped again and returned to the field of battle.

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><p><strong>~The End~<strong>

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><p><strong>Author's Notes:<strong> Well hope you liked my little story! I also have another NaruHina story called, "Vessel of Love" which can be found on my author page along with my other Justice League and Harry Potter stories, so please feel free to check those out, too! I just noticed I have quite a few stories with "heart" in the title, lol. The next stories I want to write are one or two in Star Trek TOS, and then once again, I will try to get back to Double-Edged Sword, but we'll see guys. **Please remember to read and review! **

**Japanese Word Key:**

Kaa-chan = Mother

Tou-chan = Father

Hai = Yes

Arigato = Thank you

Baka= Idiot

1/19/15: Alright, took out the "finger touching" part because that was a little too on the nose and a little OOC, I agree. I want everyone I write to be in character, so hopefully more people will like the story now. ;)


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